Residents Object To Car Wash In Northampton

September 23, 1989|The Morning Call

Several Main Street area residents this week asked Northampton Borough Council to deny a proposal to build a self-serve car wash in the street's 1700 block, or have the Planning Commission investigate it.

But their request, included in a petition, faces several obstacles.

No plans have been submitted and no permits issued for the proposed car wash, according to Council President Thomas Reenock. Reenock said council cannot act on the matter until something is submitted.

And solicitor Sandor Engel said car washes are permitted in commercially zoned areas such as Main Street. Neither council nor the Planning Commission can deny the request simply because residents feel it is inappropriate to the area, he said.

Main Street residents said in the petition that a car wash would increase and congest traffic, and pose hazards for a nearby bus stop. They also said a car wash would decrease the value of their homes, and they questioned the operating hours and cleanliness of the proposed business.

Reenock said the petition will be forwarded to the borough zoning officer, who will determine whether the matter should be taken to the Planning Commission. If it goes before the planners, he said, the residents will have an opportunity to voice their concerns.

The planners may be able to put in some safeguards, he said, but they will not be able to stop the project.

"There's nothing the borough is going to be able to do to say you can't put a car wash in a commercial zone," Engel said.